Physicians and other health professionals who have undergone training in mindful practice experience significant improvements in measures of personal well-being, resilience, and the quality of interpersonal care they provide to patients and their families (see key references). A growing number of medical institutions and healthcare systems are using Mindful Practice interventions for enhancing resilience among physicians and other health professionals (see institutions using Mindful Practice curriculum).

In 2009, we published a report showing that practitioners participating in Mindful Practice programs show significant improvements in mindfulness, reduction in burnout, decrease in negative mood states, and enhancement of well-being and resilience (Krasner MS et al, JAMA 2009). These changes are associated with increased ability to experience and communicate empathy. Participants tend to adopt a more psychosocial orientation to care, in which their relationships with patients are richer, deeper, and more effective. They report a greater sense of purpose, community, and skill navigating the most challenging aspects of their practice (Beckman HB et al. Acad Med 2012).